Mt.crewchief

I remember once in 1969, while on TDY at CRB. (from Naha), some of us took the bus to the Base Exchange from Herky Hill and and used all or most of our beer rations and filled the whole back of the bus with cases of Black Label! Rusted cans and all! I don't think it lasted long up on Herky Hill with all of the guys helping finish it off! We thought it was good stuff! Of course, I grew up in Montana where Lucky Lager was king!! One required tool in the Black Label days was a "church-key"! I'll bet some of the younger guys on the forum don't know what a church-key is, or have never used one! At CCK, the barracks next door had a pop machine that featured Black Label at ten cents a can!!! --Barracks # 338 or #336! I could use a can of it right now as a matter of fact! "cold" would be good! Oh, the good old days, Ken Carlson

Ray, tell us more about that! Sounds interesting! There was a guy from my hometown that worked in Thailand during the Viet Nam era, as a civilian. I also met a guy years after I got out that worked at the Dyna Electron hanger at Naha! Same time I was there, but I didn't know any of them! I think I cut that clipping out of the Billings Gazette after I got out in 1971. Should I have applied??? Ken

That's interesting to hear about Sheppard being so cold! When I was there in the summer, I had B-Shift classes, and if the red flag was flying it meant it was 105 degrees and we didn't have to march through "noon review". There were more than a few days we didn't have to "eyes right" to Gen. Nigro!! (what a memory)! I was in P. A. T. School at Sheppard for about 4 weeks waiting to find out what I was going to go to school for. That was after I spent a month at Lowry in Denver awaiting school for weapons and munitions school! I had a top secret security clearance and all, and then I got orders for Sheppard without knowing what I was going to be doing there! The funny thing about that is that there was another guy named Carlson also that went to Sheppard with me with the same exact circumstances! His name was Paul but I lost contact with him but I think he went on to be a loadmaster or maybe Aerial Port! Anybody know him? Thanks for listening, Ken Carlson

Casey, Thanks for fixing my picture etc. I was kind of figuring that you might rotate the pic for me, but didn't want to ask!!!! Thanks also for the info! I know when I got the orders to start school, that I had no idea what a C-130 was, and after taking a look at that trainer, I thought "wow-what a neat-looking machine" !! You know after 42 yrs. I still think that! Ken Carlson

This is a pic of some of the guys in my class at Sheppard AFB in 1967! What I would really like to know is what is the history of the acft. we were using for a trainer? How long was it parked there or is it still being used as a trainer? Ken [ATTACH]134[/ATTACH]

I wonder what the starting pay is?? I found this clipping between some pages in my "Pocket Guide to Okinawa" booklet that was given to us upon arrival at Naha! Ken http://herkybirds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=132&stc=1&d=1237089639

Actually the pic that I tried to post was of the AN-70 which has the props like what I saw. BUT, according to Airliners.Net, it's maiden voyage wasn't until 1994 or 1995! I think it was designed in the 70's, but not soon enough for me to have seen one at Naha in 69 or 70!! What I saw was more the size of a C-130, and had those counter-rotating props! There definitely could have been some more differences, but over-all, I still think my memory can't be that bad!!! I just wish I could find John Chase. He was with me when we went to Naha for that TCTO. Maybe I drank some of that local beer that came in the 4 or 6 packs tied together with rope! That was real rot-gut! Ken Carlson

That's what I get now also! I will have to try again and see if it was something I did! Ken

I just clicked on it, and it worked for me! Usually a picture shows up with out clicking on the link! I don't know what happened today! Ken

I think I have found a pic of the type of plane that I saw that day, but the one I was looking at was painted like I stated! I saw some full sized pics of this plane but can't remember where I found them! (probably Google images). It looks like a C-130 from the front and side, but the cargo doors open differently! I also can't remember the name of it, but I know I did see something, and it wasn't the beer from the night before! Could I be right, or was this type of acft. even flying in 69 or 70? Thanks for putting up with me, Ken Carlson http://herkybirds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=96&stc=1&d=1235930343

While I am on a roll here are a couple more---I think! http://herkybirds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=87&stc=1&d=1234929982 http://herkybirds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=88&stc=1&d=1234930065

While stationed at CCK my room-mates acft. 62-1854 was shot up real bad at Quan Loi RVN and was rebuilt and flown out later. It seemed like several months, but I am not sure. I found the pics in the gallery. More under (3818) His name was John Rosenfeld--From Denver Ken Carlson http://herkybirds.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=86&stc=1&d=1234929383

I was at CCK from Mar. 1969 to June 1970, and was in the 314th OMS. I can't remember ever seeing a patch for the 314th. I am sure there was one. If any of you have one from that period, could you post a pic of it so I can add it to my album. Thanks, Ken Carlson

NOW, THAT's FUNNY !!!!! Good one Muff

Yeh, and all the time you were working/sweating, the dispatcher in the radio truck was wanting to know when your bird would be O. R. so he could get it scheduled for a morning mission!!! We had a great time didn't we, Ken

I was told that this load was the computers for the army payroll in Korea. I am not quite sure of that, but we did deliver it to Osan. It took a lot of jockeying to get that thing loaded! I think that was the trip to Cubi Pt. that the local (civilian) fuel-truck driver came out with JP-5 and I wouldn't use it until somebody came along and told me that it was okay to use!

Just scanned a slide of one of my buddies at CCK changing a brake on 62-1804. Probably in 1969. His name is John Chase. He was also awarded with a consecutive overseas tour shortly after I received mine! We both were at Naha in the 35th before coming to CCK. Enjoy and remember, Ken

Nope, Sonny, I am going to stick with my story! I would like to blame the local beverages, but I distinctly remember thinking I would go inside the terminal just to see if I could see who was flying such a bird!!! I almost think there was a brightly painted Dodo Bird or a Kangaroo on the vertical stabilizer! Then again!!!!! Ken

Looking for an answer to a question I have had for many years--since 1970!!! I was at Naha for a Wing-Tip Light TCTO on 62-1804 from CCK. While I was there waiting for a crew to fly it back to CCK, there was a C-130 parked in the transit area where I was parked, and it had two sets of prop blades on each engine! One set in front of another. I don't remember if they were three bladed or four. The plane was painted a bright brown camo. pattern and I think it was from Australia or somewhere like that! Maybe New Zealand. There was some insignia on it but I can't remember what it was. If I remember right it was a bird or some kind of animal! I think I had sobered up from a weeks stay partying with old friends, so I am sure I am not imagining it! Do any of you guys know what I saw, or better yet do you have a pic? Thanks in advance for your replies, Ken Carlson

The stories of you guy's TDY's are the reason I was planning on staying in the USAF, but after 18 months at Naha, and a consecutive overseas tour to CCK for 15 months, you can imagine why TDY's weren't that exciting! Cam Rahn Bay wasn't exactly my idea of seeing the world!!!! I did spend a little extra time in in Ubon and Bankok, but the rest of my TDY's were caused by break downs in Japan, Korea, etc., and I didn't get to leave the airplane! I could have gone to Turkey with my C-133 at Dover, but I was scared to ride on it!!!! Keep the good TDY stories coming, Ken

No, I pulled CQ just around the corner from my room! There was also a CQ on duty with me from the 51st Civil Engineering Squadron that was on the other side of the barracks. I am still in contact with my old roommate Gary Levesque, maybe he can shed some light on my questions! Of course, I may be losing my mind and not even realize it! Thanks for your input Sam, Ken

Sam, I do remember the aircrew barracks down the hill toward the flightline, but I also remember having some kind of aircrew members (enlisted) living upstairs in our barracks! I do remember the wake-up list, and going upstairs and knocking at their doors . One of the guys I had to wake up I remember as being a Jamaican, and he had a wall full of pics of his conquests (local lovelies)! He was quite a ladies man---at least in his own mind! I do think he was a loadmaster, but could have been a flight engineer! This was in the early part of my Naha tour, and I got to know or recognize the flight crews when they flew our airplanes, and I don't remember seeing him again!! Any ideas??? Thanks for your input, Ken

Ghostrider, After reading your post, I dug out my DD214 and checked to see if I got any medals. I DID get my VSM ! I also got among the other standard things, was a RVCM. I can't remember what that was. While I was at Naha, the 374th got a Presidential Unit Citation, and something else "Presidential" Neither of those two are on my 214, but they probably weren't important? Also, during the Pueblo Incident", our planes at Naha participated in a 521 mission to Korea. Do any of you guys remember any of the details? I know the 35th took part in them, but I think all of the squadrons were involved. It seemed we were hauling equipment to Korea to stage a military build-up, and then hauling it back after dark, and then doing it all over again.I am sure I have managed to screw up some of the details, but that's what I remember! I remember being told there was a Korean Medal for that also! I think I got one, but it is not on my 214. Thanks for your replys, Ken Carlson

jrkraegi, You knew me ?---More details please! Ken

I have always wondered about something, and never could get an answer! Of course, it has been years since I asked! I had a good friend at Naha who was in the 21st. TAS and then became a crew-chief in E-Flight. His name is John Eggers. I always asked him just what he did when he went flying, and he would never tell me anything. Even after a whole lot of beer! A few years later he and I met up again at Dover AFB and we went to C-133 FTD classes together, and then instead of going back to the flight-line the rest of the day, we went fishing and of course drank a few beers! He was planning to get out of the AF after 8 years, and even then he wouldn't tell me anything about E-Flight He wouldn't even tell his wife while she was with him in Okinawa! So---maybe it would be okay to ask that question now--after all, it has been a few years!!! I'm sure at least one of you forum members were in E-Flight, maybe you could enlighten me! Did any of you guys know John? I think he is still working or recently retired from an aircraft related job down south! Thanks for your replys, Ken Carlson PS He was in E-Flight in 1968/69